


Turning Point

by padawanjinx



Category: Star Wars, Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: Jedi Apprentice Series - Jude Watson & Dave Wolverton
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-09
Updated: 2014-08-09
Packaged: 2018-02-12 12:27:17
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 16,767
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2109927
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/padawanjinx/pseuds/padawanjinx
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Well, the JA books mentioned Xanatos' betrayal, and Qui told Obi about it, but there wasn't anything in depth…. at least, not to my liking. So this is MY version of what happened, and I tried to be as true to the storyline/recollection that Qui told. There was no mention of Xanatos' mother, so I put her in here to add a dramatic twist and the name of the planet the Telosian people were going to go to war over wasn't named, so its a figment of my imagination.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Turning Point

**Author's Note:**

> Published: 02-17-01
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't make any money from my writing, at least not yet.

"Again?" Xanatos asked, his agitation showing in his voice. 

"Master Yoda said this is defiantly your last mission as a padawan. We're going to your homeworld of Telos." Qui-Gon informed his apprentice. 

"Telos? Do I get to see my father?" Xanatos face lit up at the possibility. 

"Yes, in fact, he's the reason that we're going. He wants a treaty renegotiated." Qui-Gon explained. "Now, go get your things ready, we leave immediately. Our transport is waiting for us." 

"Yes master!" came the reply from the back of a disappearing Xanatos. 

Qui-Gon grinned and went into his room to pack. The two finished at the same time, and made their way to the awaiting transport. Qui-Gon noticed a spring in Xanatos' step and kept himself from laughing at Xanatos' eagerness. 

The two Jedi found a Corellian ship waiting for them. The pilot was waiting at the bottom of the entrance ramp. He was a younger man, middle to late twenties, and a smile that was parsecs wide. 

"Hello Jedi! Welcome aboard the "Nexus Hopper". I'm the pilot and owner, Stieg Wa." He beamed. "I was just finished installing a new hyperdrive and I'm anxious to find out what she can do!" 

Both Jedi bowed, Qui-Gon introducing them. "I'm Qui-Gon Jinn, and this is my apprentice, Xanatos DuCruet. We are appreciative that you agreed to take us to Telos." 

"I was on my way by there, didn't see any harm in dropping you off on my way." Stieg Wa shrugged. "Shall we go? I have been waiting almost an hour to test the new drive, and the suspense is killing me!" Stieg Wa winked, leading the way up the ramp. 

Xanatos, glanced over at the large letters that spelled the ships name down the side. "Nexus Hopper. What a dumb name!" 

Qui-Gon rolled his eyes and motioned for his padawan to quickly board. Xanatos mumbled and boarded, still gripping about the least little thing. Both found their cabin they would share for the duration of the trip, which was going to take a little over a day. 

Qui-Gon knew they lucked out on finding the Nexus Hopper. They would have to pass through the Landor Star system, which was infamous for pirates and other space hustlers. The "Hopper" was equipped with a cloaking device, allowing safe passage without being detected. 

Xanatos threw his travel bag on a bunk and quickly made for the cockpit. He made is a ritual to watch the takeoff and landing of every transport he took, just in case he would been to pilot the vessel to safety. 

"Strap yourself in kid, we're taking off." Stieg Wa ordered. 

Xanatos huffed at the order, but complied. "I'm not a kid. I'm a little younger than you." 

"Well, to me you're still just a kid. You have no idea what the galaxy holds. You've never been on your own before." Stieg Wa said through a smile. "I've been on my own since I was ten, I learned all about the complexities in the universe." 

"I have a better understanding of the universe than you will ever have." Xanatos said with a sneer. 

"Better understanding huh?" Stieg Wa looked over at Xanatos. "You think you know what terrors the universe has? Being sheltered away in that Temple of yours?" 

"We learn at a very young age about the terrible things out there." Xanatos commented back. 

"Learning about it by word of mouth and reading it. You get real knowledge by being at the center, wondering if you'll live or die. That my friend, is the real world." Stieg Wa said, steering the ship out of Coruscants atmosphere. "Every minute is an adventure." 

"Jedi don't crave adventure." Qui-Gon interrupted. 

Stieg Wa chuckled, "You don't look for it, but it certainly loves to follow you Jedi around." 

Qui-Gon smiled, "That it does." 

Stieg Wa smiled, "Well, there won't be an adventure on this trip, at least, not on my ship. The cloaking device will help us evade the pirates on the way to Telos. After I drop you off, then you can have an adventure." 

Xanatos just glared at Stieg Wa. Qui-Gon laughed with the jocular pilot. 

After a few hours with the pilot, a very irritated Xanatos thought a quick look around the ship would calm him down. Qui-Gon remained in the cockpit, pleasantly conversing with Stieg Wa. 

Xanatos wandered around the cargo bay, inspecting the containers. Most were filled with nothing out of the ordinary, clothes, handheld electronic devices, droids, some low powered explosives. With the force's help, he could 'see' into all the containers, with the exception of one. He tried several times to focus on the crate, but the force couldn't penetrate. 

Sensing Stieg Wa engrossed with his master, he used the force to pop the lock on the crate and easily slid the cover aside. He gasped and then grinned, dipping his hand into the box. 

Xanatos ran his hand lazily through the large container that was filled to capacity with spice. Spice was a powerful drug that could be refined into hallucinogens and narcotics that the lower class people of planets seemed addicted to. Invisible empires ruled over planets, from the power the spice production brought them. They silently ruled over the poor souls that sold their lives into the slavery of the drug. 

With the shipment Xanatos had his hand into, he could control an entire planet. A grin spread across his lips at the thought. Quickly the thought was dashed by a voice, 'Jedi craves not power. Lead to the dark side it does.' 

"Blasted little troll! Now he is the voice of my conscious!" Xanatos curse and put the lid back to look like it had remained undisturbed. "I'll have to do something about that." 

Xanatos reluctantly went to the cockpit. Stieg Wa was telling Qui-Gon a story of one of the many near death experiences he's had. 

"Oh, the kid missed the best part. Oh well, I'll fill him in..." Stieg Wa started. 

Xanatos interrupted, "That isn't necessary. And for the last time, STOP CALLING ME KID!" 

Qui-Gon didn't like Xanatos raising his voice, and said in a stern, even tone. "Xanatos, no need to be rude. He was just using the term as a friendly nickname. Now, apologize for your attitude." 

Xanatos' jaw dropped, "I have to apologize for not wanting to be called kid? Even after I already asked him NOT too? I don't think so!" 

Qui-Gon calmly glared at his now furious apprentice. "I believe a few hours of meditation will do you some good. After that, you can sleep to rest up for your shift at the controls for the night." 

"It's ok master Jinn. I didn't mean to upset your apprentice. You don't have to punish him. Really." Stieg Wa said. 

"No." Qui-Gon held up his hand. "He needs to work on his attitude." 

Xanatos gritted his teeth and stormed out. He headed for the cabin he shared with his master. As soon as the door closed, he erected a force shield, and began to scream obscenities and furiously pace the floor. Venting out all his frustrations, he sat down heavily on the floor. His throat felt scratchy from all the yelling, and his head pounded. 

He closed his eyes and allowed the force to flow deep within him, willing it to calm his distraught emotions. He felt the anger and frustrations ebbing away. 

Though his mind was calm, and supposed to be centered, he kept thinking about the cargo hold. And all the spice, the control, the power it offered. He could wield that power and influence a lot of people, just the thought made his heart pound in excitement. 

After a few minutes of indulging his fantasy, Xanatos quickly put all the sensations and dreams deep into his subconscious, and dropped the shield around the room. He felt the void of space surrounding him, and sensed the pilot and his master still in deep conversation. 

Qui-Gon was listening to another one of Steig Wa's anecdotes, when he felt the mental shield around Xanatos drop. While nodding to Stieg Wa, he sent a mental message to his padawan. /Feeling better after our tantrum, are we?/ 

Xanatos scoffed and pulled his mind to a safe distance, as a retreat from his master's taunts. Qui-Gon felt Xanatos retreat, and returned his attention back to Stieg Wa, who was coming to the climax of his story. Xanatos huffed, then sank down into a deep meditative trance. 

When Xanatos came out of his deep meditation, his master was already in their quarters, preparing himself for bed. Without turning, Qui-Gon's soft voice spoke, "You will be relieved in six hours. I don't expect you to make friends with Stieg Wa, but I do expect you to apologize for your earlier actions. Don't let him get to you." 

"I promise I'll set things straight with him master. You have my word." Xanatos said and hurried out the door for his shift at the helm 

Qui-Gon shook his head in dismay and crawled into bed to get some sleep. He sensed he will need as much rest as possible for the next few days. The force was warning him of eminent danger, and he decided rest was a good precaution, just in case he had to be alert for a long period of time. 

Xanatos regretted going to the cockpit, knowing that Stieg Wa would be there and jist him for being punished. He thumbed the door open, and Stieg Wa spun around from the controls, at first looking spooked, then smiling happily. 

"Good to see you kept track of time, young Jedi." Stieg Wa beamed in his usual jovial manner. 

Xanatos sighed, somewhat relieved that the pilot refrained from using the obnoxious petname. "Yeah. I'm here, now get lost." 

Stieg Wa stood, stretched, and started out of the door. He stopped and put a hand on Xanatos' shoulder, "You know, I really was just teasing. I didnt mean for you to get into trouble." 

Xanatos' blue eyes stared menacingly at the pilot. "You should learn where you boundaries are. Some people don't take kindly to your jokes and sense of humor. One day, someone might put you in your place and permanently shut your mouth." Xanatos jerked away from Stieg Wa and seated himself at the controls. 

Stieg Wa faked a smile and left the room, saying under his breath. "You certainly have your master fooled into believing you're perfect. I hope he opens his eyes and see you for what you really are." 

Xanatos sat, watching the stars zip by and mumbled obscenities and snide remarks. He always seemed to feel better after venting out his frustrations and voiced his opinions quite often. After the venting in his quarters, then the pilot trying to smooth things over, he soon felt the toll it was taking on him, and he soon lulled to sleep. 

Alarms sounded, lights flashed, and woke up the slumbering master and pilot, and gave the dozing padawan an unpleasant wake up call. Stieg Wa and Qui-Gon rushed to the cockpit, their eyes automatically falling upon the pirate ships in the viewports. 

Xanatos jumped from the pilot seat as Stieg Wa scrambled to take the controls. He yelled, "Main power is down, switching to secondary power. Strap yourselves in! This is gonna be rough!" 

Qui-Gon and Xanatos sat in their seats and secured themselves into place. They watched as Stieg Wa got the auxiliary power up, raising their shields and loading their weapons. His hands flew expertly over the controls, systematically preparing them for battle. 

Two pirate ships were in the forward viewport, blocking any escape route in either direction. A third took up the rear, preventing the prey from retreating. A deep husky voice came through the comm panel. " Surrender! Your vessel is surrounded. If you don't resist, we'll only take your cargo and allow you to live." 

"You'll have to catch us first!" Stieg Wa answered back, then put the ship on a collision course. 

"What in the hell are you doing? We're no match for three pirate ships!" Xanatos snapped. 

"Just sit there and keep quiet kid! I don't need your childish prattling distracting me!" Stieg Wa snapped back. 

Xanatos took a deep breath, preparing to release a nasty verbal barrage, but Qui-Gon shot him a stern look. Xanatos fumed, turning bright red with pent up rage. 

"Why weren't we alerted to them sooner?" Qui-Gon asked, trying to dispel some of Xanatos' anger. 

Stieg Wa checked the panel, his face grew glum. "The early warning indicator light isn't working." 

The two pirate ships in the front were horizontally end to end, and began to move closer together, the bridge of the left ship becoming parallel with the engines of his reinforcements. The captains were hoping the pilot wouldn't be willing to sacrifice his life and ship for his cargo. Course they also wondered what the vessel could be hauling to make the pilot take such a drastic measure. 

The ship behind the Nexus Hopper fired a spread of torpedoes, hoping to stop the ship from blowing itself up. The torpedoes began to gain on the 'Hopper', honing in on the secondary engines of the small vessel. 

Stieg Wa kept the ship on a collision course, and opened his torpedo bays, arming a full spread. He increased his speed, trying to get to the pirate ships in front of him, before the torpedoes on his tail got him first. He aimed for the engine of the right ship and hit the firing button, sending a deadly cascade towards the pirates engines, then pulled the ship into a steep vertical climb. 

The 'Hoppers" torpedoes hit their mark, the explosion from the engines rocked the smaller vessel. The flames licked the underside and singed the hull. The engine blew shrapnel towards the pirate ship behind it, the explosion destroying the bridge and rendering the ship a total loss as secondary explosions came from all levels, sending ion smoke out into space. 

The pirate captain ordered that they open fire, and try to disable the pesky transport that disabled two of his vessels. The pirate captain fumed at the destruction the tiny vessel was causing, and ordered that they try to disable it. Even if they didn't have a decent cargo to salvage, the pilot's life was enough to compensate for their trouble. 

Blaster fire soon lit up space, trying to get a good hit on the small transport. Stieg Wa maneuver the vessel around, reloading his torpedoes and firing on the ship that was attacking him. The pirate ship took a direct hit to its main reactor, and suddenly drifted into the silence of space. The pirate captain cursed and ranted on his bridge, vowing to get revenge. 

"Well done." Qui-Gon congratulated the young pilot. 

Stieg Wa turned to Qui-Gon, "I've disabled them for now, keep us on course for Telos while I get our cloaking device back on." 

Qui-Gon nodded and assumed the controls while Stieg Wa hurried out of the cockpit. 

Qui-Gon looked over to Xanatos, "Are you ok?" 

Xanatos nodded affirmative, positioning himself as the co-pilot. "I will be. It just makes me mad to have him call me a kid." 

"He saved your life and mine. You really need to drop this macho persona." Qui-Gon scolded. "No wonder he calls you a kid, you're acting like a four year old initiate with your attitude." 

Xanatos rolled his eyes, "I didn't have an attitude when I came on board. Being around him, I had to develop a defensive mechanism." 

"Maybe so." Qui-Gon said and returned his attention back to their course. 

Stieg Wa came running in the door, his face covered in some sort of soot. "The explosion caused some damage to the dorsal platform. There is some shrapnel embedded in the hull. Doubtful we'll have sufficient power to get us to Telos." 

Qui-Gon frowned, "So, what do you want to do?" 

"First of all, you can tell you vindictive apprentice to leave my ship alone." Stieg Wa spat, casting a evil glare at Xanatos. 

"What's that supposed to mean?" Xanatos asked, his anger starting to rise once again. 

"Don't play dumb with me kid. The cloaking device was fine when I left. You warned me that bad things could happen, then the cloaking device malfunctions and we lose power? Figure it out!" Stieg Wa glared at Xanatos. 

Xanatos jumped up, facing off against the accusing pilot, "You saying that I would sabotage the ship just to get back at you?" 

"I'm saying that you're a spiteful, hateful person that would anything to get revenge!" Stieg Wa stood up for himself, showing he wasn't afraid of a Jedi. 

"You bastard!" Xanatos' fist came flying through the air. Unfortunately for him, it never made contact, having been suspended in mid-strike by a very anger master. 

"Xanatos, go to our quarters and remain there for the rest of the trip." Qui-Gon ordered. 

Xanatos nearly ran Stieg Wa down as he left in an outrage. Xanatos started cursing and ranting on his way, his voice echoed off the metal walls that enveloped him. 

Qui-Gon stared at the outraged pilot, "Explain yourself!" 

Stieg Wa glared at the much larger man, "The cloaking device was disabled. It was no coincidence that the indicator light was disconnected to warn us ahead of time. As soon as it dropped, it triggered a command to knock out our main power. Your apprentice must have decided that we needed some excitement and nearly got us killed!" 

Qui-Gon controlled his anger at the accusations. "Do you have any proof? Is there ANY evidence that Xanatos is responsible?" 

Stieg Wa huffed, "No there's no proof. He covered his tracks well. You think I made this up?" 

Qui-Gon shook his head, "Xanatos and you haven't gotten along since you met. But I ask you, why would he sabotage a ship he was on?" 

Stieg Wa thought for a moment, " I have no idea what goes on in that demented mind of his, but I do know, he IS dangerous." 

"My padawan is not demented, and anyone can be dangerous, given the right circumstances. He is a Jedi, trained in many techniques and weapons." Qui-Gon explained. 

Stieg Wa though about it, then sighed in defeat, "Yeah, I guess you're right." 

Qui-Gon smiled slightly, "Now, what needs to be done? I can help in anyway you require." 

Stieg Wa ran his hand through his hair, smudging it with black. "I think we're far enough away and they are disabled. I think it's safe to go and do the repairs on this ship. See if you can get the main power back on, I'm going to go out on the dorsal platform and get that cloaking device back on." 

Qui-Gon bowed his head and left to begin the repairs on the ship's engines. 

Stieg Wa eased into zero gravity suit and grabbed his tools to work on the dorsal platform that was damaged. He ventured out onto the wing, cursing as he began to remove the pieces of the pirate ship and check on the wiring. One of the power cables was punctured, spilling the acidic ooze over the wires, and rendering the controls for the flaps useless. 

Qui-Gon found the power relays and noted that one of the cables was cut, it greenish liquid spilling out and shorting out the surrounding electronics. It had indeed been sabotaged. 

Qui-Gon had been so immersed in the tangle in the main power controls, that he didn't sense at disturbance in the force. He was startled by his apprentice running by him, heading to the cockpit. Qui-Gon banged his head and dropped a relay coupling, cursing under his breath, he got up and followed to see where his padawan was going in such a hurry. 

Qui-Gon entered the cockpit, feeling the force swirl, warning him of danger. Outside, a pirate ship was facing the now disabled craft. 

Xanatos was rushing by Qui-Gon again, this time, grabbing the elders arm and leading him out the door. "Come on master! We don't have much time!" 

Qui-Gon followed Xanatos to a lifepod and suddenly grabbed his apprentice arm. "Wait! What about Stieg Wa? We can't just leave him here!" 

Xanatos shook his head and explained, "I haven't seen him, he's probably already dead. The ship is disabled, with no more reserve power, and low weapons. Please master, we MUST leave now, before it's too late!" 

Qui-Gon knew Xanatos was right. The ship was dead in the water. If the pirates found them, they would most likely kill them, then ravage the ship and leave it for space debris. He nodded a sad affirmative and boarded the escape pod. 

Xanatos followed his master inside, sealed the hatch, and adjetisented the pod. As soon as the pod was clear, its primary thrusters engaged and it made slow progress to its destination. 

Qui-Gon noticed that the onboard computer was showing readouts of their course. They were going to Telos. He looked over at his padawan, concerned. "Xanatos, how did this pod know to head towards Telos?" 

"I preprogrammed the computer, in case of an emergency." Xanatos explained. "I always have a backdoor." 

"But what if the pirates come after us?" Qui-Gon asked. 

Xanatos smiled, "They won't. I programmed a message, telling them the cargo bay was full of spice. They are probably reaping their reward right now." 

Qui-Gon's face showed shock, "Spice?" 

"I found it by accident. Stieg Wa didn't tell you, master?" Xanatos grinned, then winked at his master. "He was a smuggler." 

Qui-Gon sat, digesting the information. "So he was the one that disabled the ship, trying to discredit you. You didn't sabotage the ship." Qui-Gon though aloud. 

"Master! Why would I sabotage a ship I was on?" Xanatos asked, clearly his feelings were hurt at such an accusation. 

"Oh, I wasn't accusing you padawan. Stieg Wa did. I was just recounting the events and thinking out loud. Don't worry. I know you wouldn't do anything to endanger me or yourself." Qui-Gon reassured, then looked out of the viewport smiling. 

"Exactly." Xanatos said, staring at his master with a devilish grin on his face. He squinted his eyes, then turned to look out the viewport, eager for his home planet to appear. \---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

"Master! There it is!" Xanatos was nearly squealing upon seeing Telos become more dominate as the lifepod neared. 

"I can see that Xanatos. And lower your voice, you sound as giddy as a young initiate on their first field trip." Qui-Gon laughed. 

Bother master and apprentice stared out the small viewport, watching as the escape pod made preparations to land on one of the platforms. The pod's sensors beeped and recognized the landing zone, and hastily began its decent. It sat down awkwardly on the pad, the exhausted engines dying down. 

Telos was a beautiful planet, covered mainly by a vast ocean of the deepest sapphire blue. There were a few islands dotted throughout the sparkling ocean, but there was only one major land mass, and it was near the equator. 

Though the smaller islands had their own rulers, Xanatos' father was the one that held the majority of the power, and ruled the entire planet as Governor. He had the power to call for re-negotiations of the planets that bartered with Telos, which he did, calling the Jedi, and his, son in on the meetings. 

Xanatos bounded out of the escape pod and was meet by several guard droids, their weapons ready in case the intruders would attack. Qui-Gon disembarked the pod and put his hands up defensively in front of himself, signifying that he was peaceful. 

A metallic voice asked, "State the reason for you're landing." 

"We are the Jedi that Governor DuCruet sent for." Qui-Gon explained. 

The droids seemed confused, and machine "chatter" was exchanged. 

Xanatos stepped forward, "I am Xanatos DuCruet. I demand you take me to see my father immediately!" 

The droids mechanical heads swiveled, processing the information. A beep came from all the droids and they lowered their weapons, making two lines, flanking the Jedi, and escorting them from the landing pad. 

"I think they recognized you." Qui-Gon smirked at his apprentice. 

Xanatos grinned at his master as they entered a large hanger. "It's all who you know." 

The hanger, to the Jedi's surprise, was part of the manor house. There were several transports, one of which was the official transport for the Telos Governor. 

The droid guards led the Jedi through the terminal to a long hallway, up a set of steps, and into a grand room. Large rugs of woven silk lined the marble floor. Antique sculptures and ornaments donned expensive looking tables. The tables were of a deep rich mahogany, topped with polished gold. 

The walls were covered in panels that sported detailed, intricate, carvings. The panels ran from floor to ceiling, and were partitioned off by large ivory columns. 

"Home" Xanatos breathed with a smile. 

Qui-Gon gave his apprentice a sidelong glance and smiled warmly at his padawans remark. 

"Xanatos?" Came a loud thundering voice. 

Both Jedi turned to see two figures heading towards them from a set of ebony marble stairs. Qui-Gon instantly recognized Governor DuCruet and his wife. The Governor, Crion, though getting on in years, was a tall, well built man, with dark hair and eyes. A little gray was peeking through around his temples. His wife was slightly smaller than he, with coppery hair and deep blue eyes. Qui-Gon instantly saw a family resemblance. 

"Mother. Father." Xanatos greeted. 

Crion looked at his son, shocked at how big he had gotten and was amazed how much of himself and his wife he saw in the younger face beaming back at him. "Xanatos? My goodness boy, how much you've grown!" Crion threw his arms around his son, smiling broadly at having his son with him once again. "It's about time you come back home." 

"Oh honey, he's here as an official Jedi, don't embarrass him." Xanatos' mother, Koyola, scolded the two still embarrassed and exchanging pleasantries. 

"I know dear, but still, he's home!" Crion said, releasing Xanatos from his hold. 

Xanatos smiled, his blue eyes twinkling, "Hello mother. Did you miss me?" 

Koyola gave her son a non-amused look, then threw her arms around his neck. "You know better than to ask a question like that! I've missed you so much, Little Man." 

"Mother!" Xanatos yelled, embarrassed. 

"Well, you may be bigger than me, but you'll always be my Little Man." Koyola smiled and kissed her son several times, leaving lipstick marks all over his face. 

Qui-Gon stood quietly watching the exchange. A small part of him longed for family affection and worry, yet he felt he had a small part of the family life. The Jedi would always be his family, and though Xanatos wasn't blood, he was like a son. 

"Mr. Jinn! How's my boy doing? Has he been behaving?" Crion boomed in his deep voice, pulling the Jedi master out of reminiscing. 

"Yes Governor DuCruet. Xanatos has been a wonderful student, and is close to becoming a Jedi Knight. I'm proud to have called him my padawan." Qui-Gon said through a smile, watching Xanatos receive more kisses from his mother. 

"I'm proud that he's my son." Crion said, laughing at the exchange going on. 

Qui-Gon felt a stab of remorse at Crion's comment. He smiled politely and nodded his understanding. 

"Ok, enough of that woman. He's had a long journey and you can see him when you get back. "Crion said, pulling Xanatos away from his mother. 

"When she gets back?" Xanatos asked, trying to wipe off some of the lipstick off his face. 

"Your mother is going to Chetol to see if she can arrange a meeting so we can renegotiate the treaty. They don't take kindly to Jedi, so I thought that my wife could get them to agree to meet peacefully. She has such a diplomatic and regal aura, I thought it best that she oversees this to prevent any conflicts." Crion explained to the two Jedi. 

Qui-Gon nodded, "That seems wise. But I thought that Chetol were open to the Jedi and their involvement. Why would they suddenly 'not' want our help or involvement?" 

Crion shrugged, "I have no clue. But I didn't want them to think we disrespected them, then call for war! So I told them my wife will assist them in whatever they need, to show we are not hostile." 

"Well, I need to go. I'll see you when I get back, Little Man." Koyola said, giving her son one last kiss. She bowed to Qui-Gon and smiled to her husband, the departed to meet her transport. 

"I bet you two would like to rest after your trip, and considering you arrived in an escape pod, I'll wager there is a great adventure to tell!" Crion said, placing himself between the two Jedi. 

Xanatos beamed, "Oh, it was quite an adventure! I'll tell you all about it!" 

Crion laughed as he escorted the two up the beautiful staircase. "Yes, yes, yes. After you get some sleep. It's late and I bet you two haven't had much rest in the past couple of days. You can tell me at dinner tomorrow." 

"At dinner? But, there's so much to tell you. So much has went on…." Xanatos whined. 

"You can tell me all about your training, and the Temple, and your missions. Not to worry, there will be plenty of time to fill each other in. Right now, you need rest." Crion lead the two Jedi down a long hallway. 

Qui-Gon didn't like Crion touching him, but smiled politely. "He's right Xanatos. We need rest and tomorrow you two can catch up on old times." 

Xanatos slouched his shoulders in defeat, "Yes master." 

Crion hated to hear Xanatos refer to Qui-Gon as master, and gritted his teeth quietly as they stopped in front of a large door. "Xanatos, you can have your old room, you're master will be down the hall." 

"Great!" Xanatos bound towards his room and slammed the huge wooden door. 

"Kids!" Croin said, showing Qui-Gon down to the far end of the corridor. "There are servants always on call, so don't hesitate to ask for anything." 

Qui-Gon smiled and bowed his head to show his appreciation. "Thank you, but I'd really prefer to have Xanatos closer, if you don't mind." 

Crion chuckled, "Well, right now he's probably looking over all his toys and comparing his wardrobe to how much he's grown. I think he'll be safe in his old room." 

"Yes, but master and padawan are rarely this far apart." Qui-Gon said, motioning towards Xanatos' room, which appeared to be small because of the distance away. 

"I'm sorry Mr. Jinn, but this is the only room available. Now to worry about Xanatos, we are well protected here. And my room is right across the hall from his, in case he needs something." Crion explained. 

"Yes of course. There isn't any need to worry. You have excellent security and Xanatos has his lightsaber. He knows I'm just a thought away in the case of an emergency." Qui-Gon said, convinced his weariness was overshadowing his senses. 

"Right! Well, I'll go and let you get some sleep. You can eat at your leisure and feel free to use everything this place has to offer." Crion gave Qui-Gon a slap on the back. "First thing tomorrow, I'll send a servant to bring you to the meeting with my advisors." he turned and allowed Qui-Gon to enter his room to get some rest. 

Qui-Gon sighed and scanned his room. It was quaint, in an overdone sort of way, like the rest of the manor. Elaborate paintings and sculptures decorated the room, but the Jedi master paid no heed. He went straight to the bed, removed his boots, robes, and tunics and plopped his weary body down for some long overdue sleep. He opened up his senses, trying to figure out what Xanatos was doing. Joy, excitement, awe, and nostalgia came flooding into his mind. He smiled and drifted off to sleep, comforted by the knowledge his padawan was happy. 

Crion knocked gently on his son's door and heard a muffled "Come in" from the other side. He opened the door and was greeted by his son laying stretched out across his bed, changed into new clothes. "I see you found the clothes I had brought for you." 

Xanatos rose up in the middle of the bed, "They fit a little snug, but I like them. Thank you." 

"Well, you'll had to excuse the size. I didn't realize how much you grew in the years you've been away." Crion said, closing the door. "Is everything to your satisfaction?" 

Xanatos grinned, his happiness showing, "Oh yeah, everything's great! I just forgotten how 'big' my room was!" 

"I always made sure you had the best of everything." Crion smiled, walking over and sitting on the edge of his son's bed. 

"And I can't get over how big my bed is! Much better than the little sleep couches we have at the temple." Xanatos crawled over and sat by his father. He marveled at all the expensive toys and entertainments that cluttered up the vast room. 

"You picked out your bed when you were three. You liked the ebony finish, with all the silver accents. Do you remember?" Crion asked. 

Xanatos' brow furrowed in deep thought, then he lit up at the memory. "I remember! You told me since I was a big boy that I needed a bigger bed. You had me to look through designs for days. I had my favorite picked out almost immediately, but I thought you'd be mad because it was the most expensive!" Xanatos laughed at the memory. 

Crion laughed along, "Why would I be mad? You are the Governors son, and deserve only the finest things the universe has to offer." 

Xanatos stopped laughing, looking at his father seriously. A sudden change from reminiscing to a look of being heartbroken crossed his face. 

Crion seen Xanatos' remorseful expression and added, "Telos is powerful because of my leadership. I employ only the brightest scientists, and have accumulated a vast treasury." 

Xanatos looked surprised, "A treasury?" 

"Oh yes. I could probably buy any planet I wanted." Crion said. "Maybe buy you a planet? Let you rule over the people? Make fortune of your own?" 

Xanatos' eyes lit up, "A planet of my own?" Xanatos eyes shone, a wicked grin spread across his face, his heart started to pound at the idea. Suddenly his face fell and he sighed sullenly, "But the Jedi Code forbids such power and wealth." 

Crion seen how his son had reacted and how he was tempted by the promise of wealth. "You weren't born a Jedi, they just helped you to harness that force thing, and to train you with weapons and strategy. You were born a governors son, and that title is a privilege. You can have much more than what the Jedi allow, it is your birthright." 

Xanatos' face beamed once again at the thought. "I could have anything I wanted?" 

Crion grinned at his son, "Would you want to rule a world?" 

Xanatos looked over at his father, a hunger seemed to scream from his eyes. "What do I have to do?" 

Croin smiled evilly, "Chetol has a vast array of minerals, but the people are too stupid to come up with a way to mine the wealth proficiently. They have factories that could be useful, but they are substandard. Our scientists have already developed ways to extract the minerals and retrofit the factories to refine the raw materials." 

Xanatos sneered, enjoying the through of the wealth he could have with a planet like that at his disposal. 

"The Chetol people don't want our technology and just want to leave the planet to its natural state. But, if we ruled the planet, we could reap the benefits." Crion explained, his excitement growing at seeing his son's shared desire. 

"But they don't want us to rule over them." Xanatos pointed out. "How can we use the minerals and factories to gain control, when they don't want any part of the mining and refining?" 

"I have been raising an army to invade them." Crion whispered, then leaned closer to his son. "The people of Chetol are weak and have primitive weapons, but they still outnumber us greatly. If I can get the people of Telos to demand war, then they will supply the extra troops I need." 

"But how to get them TO rebel against Chetol and be willing to fight for us?" Xanatos asked, his mind already scheming. 

"That's where you come into the equations, my son." Crion said, his tone becoming hopeful. "That is, if you'll help me." 

Xanatos looked at the floor for a moment in contemplation, then rose his eyes to his father. A devilish gleam was in his eyes. "Of course I'll help you. You're my father, and the ruler of Telos. How can I deny a royal request?" 

Crion smiled broadly, "And since you are my son, and my predecessor, I will appoint you ruler of Chetol." 

Xanatos was shocked. "Me? But the Jedi forbid..." 

"Look Xanatos, you're all I have left." Crion said sadly. "Even your mother has distanced herself from me. I now regret letting Mr. Jinn take you away. You are my son before a Jedi, and I need you here with me." 

With greed shining in his eyes at the prospect of what his father offered, Xanatos bowed his head, "I am at your disposal." 

"Good. When the leader of Chetol enters the negotiations tomorrow, I want you to pretend you sense something, with that force of yours. Then I want you to jump him, and find an explosive device on him. We'll say he was going to blow us up to prevent a re-negotiation, and the people will be outraged. I'll give you the device tomorrow morning, before you're master awakens. Hide it well, and lay down the suspicion of foul play to your master, so he will be distracted." Crion explained his plan. 

"You know, Qui-Gon won't approve of this." Xanatos sighed. "He wants me to pass the trails and be a Knight." 

"He doesn't have to like it. He'll have to respect your wishes, after all, you ARE a grown man, and capable of making your own decisions." Crion put his arm around his son's shoulders. "The question is, What is best for YOU? What do YOU want?" 

"I have never felt like I belonged with the Jedi, though I told my master several times I wasn't happy. He has always pushed me on, waiting for me to pass the trails and become a knight to make him proud. He will be upset with my decision to stay with you." Xanatos frowned. 

"If he doesn't respect your wishes, then he can leave." Crion gave Xanatos a reassuring squeeze. 

"I'll just have to find the right time to tell him." Xanatos sighed, fighting back a yawn. 

"You've had a long journey, and no doubt you're exhausted, so I'll let you get some sleep. I'm starting the negotiations tomorrow morning. I'll wager your master expects you to accompany him, so I better let you get to bed." Crion said, raising up and walking to the door. 

Xanatos yawned and stretched, "Good idea. I have a feeling that the next few days are going to be a test of my endurance." 

Crion smiled, "Good night son." and opened the door. 

Xanatos crawled into bed and settled in for the night, "Good night father. I love you." 

Crion's face beamed, "I love you too son. Pleasant dreams." He pulled the door closed behind him and went to his own room. A sense of peace flooded over him, and he smiled at his accomplishment. \-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

Qui-Gon awoke suddenly, sensing he wasn't alone. He sat up in the bed, and met the gaze of a short, round woman. She stood quietly by the door, waiting for the Jedi master to say something. 

"Who are you?" Qui-Gon asked, standing up. 

"I am your personal servant. Mr. DuCret assigned me to you. I am here to make sure your stay is as pleasant as possible." The woman stated flatly. 

She was approximately to Qui-Gon's shoulder, short black hair hung around her shoulders, and she stared back at him with soft brown eyes. 

"I thank you, but I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself." Qui-Gon smiled politely. 

"Very well sir. Mr. DuCret wanted you to know that the meeting will be in two hours. If you require anything, don't hesitate to call." The lady said with a smile. 

Qui-Gon returned her smile and bowed his head slightly, "Thank you. I just require some privacy. I can find my own way to the meeting." 

The woman bowed her head and left the room, shutting the door behind her. 

Qui-Gon went to the refresher and enjoyed a long shower. He preferred the water showers over the sonic showers. Sonic seemed so sterile, but the water always seemed to relax and ease whatever tension he had and sooth whatever was bothering him. 

Qui-Gon exited the shower, only to discover that his clothes were missing. He wrapped a towel around himself and went into the bedroom, finding the bed made and fresh clothes laid out for him. He chuckled and changed into them, and made a mental note to thank his servant and to commend her for accuracy in sizes. 

He looked in the mirror and admired the soft fabric of the pants and shirt. His pants were of a soft black material, and the beige shirt was cut not unlike his Jedi tunics. He was put at ease when he found his lightsaber and belt, and completed his ensemble. 

He left his room an started down the hall to Xanatos. A young girl, 18 maybe, came out of his door, nearly bumping into the Jedi Master. Her golden hair was pulled up in a makeshift bun, and her uniform clung loosely to her body. 

"Pardon me." Qui-Gon said with a smile. 

The girly only nodded, somewhat sadly, and hurried down the hall. Qui-Gon watched her go, and felt terrible sadness and heartache coming from her. He knocked on the door and opened it, hoping to see his padawan. 

He frowned upon seeing the empty room, but heard the shower going. He shook his head at the mess, and sent Xanatos a message through their bond. 

Xanatos responded and hurriedly climbed out of the shower. He wrapped a long robe around himself and went into the bedroom to greet his master. 

"I certainly hope you're not going to the meeting dressed like that." Qui-Gon smirked. 

Xanatos looked around the room and frowned, "No. I asked for new clothes to be brought to me, but I guess she's having a hard time determining my size." Xanatos hid a smile. 

"I take it that the girl I saw leaving is your servant?" Qui-Gon asked as a knock came at the door. 

"Yeah." Xanatos confirmed, then answered the door. The girl offered him the clothes that were in her arms. He mumbled something, the girl bowed, then left. 

Xanatos closed the door and took the clothes to the refresher. Quickly changing, he slipped a small metallic device in his clothes, and reentered the bedroom, smiling at his master. 

Qui-Gon looked a little upset and asked, "How old is that poor girl?" 

"Oh, the servant? Sixteen I think, maybe fifteen. Who knows and who cares? We have to hurry, or we'll be late." Xanatos said, opening the door and motioning for his master to lead the way out. 

"That is not the kind of attitude to have Xanatos." Qui-Gon scolded. 

"Well, I'm sorry, but I didn't ask how old she was." Xanatos sighed impatiently. 

"She just seemed sad and unhappy." Qui-Gon walked side by side with his apprentice. 

"She has no reason to be. If she does a good job, she is paid well. We don't mistreat our servants, they are well cared for." Xanatos commented. 

Qui-Gon brow furrowed and he looked over at his padawan suspiciously. Had Xanatos 'meant' to say WE? OUR? Or was it a simple mistake? A slip of the tongue? Common phrase? Qui-Gon was beginning to wonder. 

"Master, I sense something." Xanatos glanced around suspiciously, shielding his thoughts so his master couldn't pick up on what he was planning. 

"I don't sense anything." Qui-Gon's eyes inspected every shadow and space surrounding them. He opened up to the force, only sensing his padawan in a state of hyper-sensitivity. 

"Well, I'm staying on alert, just in case." Xanatos warned the elder. 

Qui-Gon was so proud of Xanatos. He never had to warn his padawan to stay alert or to be mindful of the living force. Sometimes, Xanatos' focus frightened the Jedi master, but he admired how determined and in tune with all things around him the young man was. 

"Son! Mr. Jinn!" Crion boomed upon the two Jedi's entrance. "Please have a seat. We've been waiting on you. The Chetol delegates are late, so you didn't miss anything." 

Crion was seated at a large rectangular table, flanked by several older looking gentlemen in official garments. Qui-Gon guessed they were the Governors advisors. Crion gestured to the empty seat beside him, Xanatos nodded and went to the vacant seat. 

Qui-Gon didn't like this scene, but a part of him scolded his feelings. /Xanatos will be a knight soon and will be in positions like this all the time. Crion understands this, and just thought that 'his' negotiations would be a great experience for Xanatos, before he's on his own./ Qui-Gon took his seat at the far end of the table. 

"The delegates from Chetol have arrived and are on their way." One of the advisors informed the gathered diplomats. 

/Master, do you sense a disturbance?/ Xanatos glanced down at his master. 

Qui-Gon met his apprentice's eyes /I sense nothing. Maybe you're just nervous. You are, after all, the one that will be overseeing this treaty./ 

Xanatos frowned/ I'm not nervous. I just have a sense of dread and impending trouble./ 

/Huhm. Sense of dread and worry? No, couldn't be nerves./ Qui-Gon sarcastically snickered. 

Xanatos wrinkled his nose at his master's comment and glanced around the room, as if searching for something. 

The delegates for Chetol were escorted into the room by their guards. One of the butlers for the manor showed them the way. A large man led the way, followed closely by 5 delegates. The leader was a short, overweight man, approximately in his mid forties. His followers looked to be over 70, and much taller, though they were a little on the hefty side. 

The Telosians rose and greeted the guests, exchanging handshakes and names. Xanatos looked over to see his master greeting a couple of guests, and picked out the delegate that was closest to him. 

Xanatos launched himself at the unsuspecting man, yelling for everyone to take cover. When they landed in a heap on the floor, Xanatos already had the explosive device from its hiding place in his clothes. He rebounded, sitting up a couple of feet away from the crowd, clutching the small metal box in his hand. 

Guards rushed in, pointing their weapons at the Chetol diplomat on the floor. Xanatos jumped up, brandishing the small electronic device. He yelled, "What are you doing, you fool? This is a thermal explosive! You could have killed us all!" 

The man remained on the ground, stunned and confused. "What? I didn't bring that device in here! YOU did!" 

Xanatos fumed, "Putting the blame on someone else won't save you from being punished! You'll pay for your crime!" 

The Chetol leader interrupted, "Mr. Folah is my personal physician! He is a HEALER, not a soldier! This is a setup!" 

"I beg your pardon?" Crion snapped. "YOU are the ones that tried to blow us all up with that bomb!" 

The guards of Chetol surrounded their leader and raised their weapons. The Telosian guards did the same, creating a very unstable standoff. 

Qui-Gon positioned himself between the uproared soldiers, putting his hands up defensively. "Stop! There's another way to do this. You don't have to start shooting." 

"I agree with the Jedi. Put you're weapons away." The Chetol leader said, putting his hand on the barrel of one of the primitive blasters. "We are not a violent people." 

"If you aren't violent, then why did one of YOUR men try to sneak a bomb in here? Crion demanded to know. 

Upon seeing the Chetol guards lower their weapons, the Telosian guards followed suit. 

"We are a peaceful people. We wouldn't sneak a bomb in to these proceedings! They are too important! It was one of YOUR men that did this infraction!" The leader shouted. 

"I think this meeting has come to an end!" Crion shouted. "Guards! Escort our dishonorable guests back to their transport and make sure they leave without planting anymore of their 'secret weapons'." 

The guards stepped forward, pointing their weapons once again at the Chetol dignitaries. The Chetol guards went on the defensive again, trying desperately to protect their leader. Mr. Folah was helped up off the floor, and rejoined his entourage. 

Qui-Gon intervened. "I will escort them back. We don't need one of the guards misinterpreting something and begin a war." 

Everyone seemed to agree, except for Xanatos. Qui-Gon bowed to Crion and motioned for the Chetol delegates to follow him. They obliged and trailed behind the Jedi Master. 

When they were far enough away, the Chetol leader spoke, "Thank you Jedi. I think the Telosian guards had other plans for us. We appreciate your help." 

"As always, the Jedi are in your service." Qui-Gon nodded. 

"Oh NOW you're in our service? The planet you side with tries to kill us and NOW you offer your help." The Chetol bit sarcastically. 

"I haven't sided with anyone. I was informed that you disrespected the Jedi and weren't too happy when you found out we were here." Qui-Gon felt a familiar uneasiness. 

"WE demanded that Jedi oversee this new treaty. We didn't trust the Telosian Governor, or his associates, which is why we demanded that if they wanted a new treaty, there BETTER be a Jedi overseeing it!" The Chetol ambassador explained as they made towards their transport. 

One of the elderly men spoke up, "You said WE? Is there anther Jedi here?" 

Qui-Gon shook his head, "Yes. My apprentice Xanatos, the Governor's son." 

The Chetol leader exchanged glances with his advisors, "If I were you, Mr. Jedi, I would look closer to my apprentice, and have a close inspection of that explosive." 

"I plan on checking out the explosives, but its unnecessary for me to question my padawan. He is a dedicated Jedi." Qui-Gon bowed to the dignitaries. 

The Chetol ambassadors boarded the vessel, the leading turning one last time to address the Jedi master. "If I were you, I wouldn't let my guard down. Sometimes the ones that you think will watch your back, are the ones that bury the knife the deepest." 

"I appreciate your concern." Qui-Gon stated flatly. The doors of the transport closed, and the vessel rose up in the air and disappeared out of site. 

Qui-Gon felt a strange feeling wash over him as he went to look for his padawan. He sensed Xanatos in the conference room, his long strides covering the distance within a few minutes. When he entered, he was surprised to see a young lady sitting on his padawan's lap. Xanatos was telling of his heroics, which impressed and excited the girl. She made it clear how excited she was becoming, and Qui-Gon cleared his throat to announce his presence in the room. 

"Master!" Xanatos beamed upon seeing his master. "Everything go alright? The Chetol didn't attack you?" 

"No Xanatos. I believe tensions were just high." Qui-Gon said, motioning for the girl to vacant Xanatos' lap. She reluctantly rose, turned and kissed Xanatos, whispering something only the two of them could here, then left the two Jedi alone to their business. 

"Seems like you got a fan." Qui-Gon smirked. 

"She think I'm a hero for saving everyone from the bomb." Xanatos smiled. 

"Speaking of the bomb, do you know where it is?" Qui-Gon asked. 

"It's on the table, right over there." Xanatos pointed to the far side of the room. 

"Did you look at it?" Qui-Gon walked over and picked up the small metallic box. 

"No. Why bother?" Xanatos snapped impatiently. 

Qui-Gon shook his head in disappointment. "We can learn a lot. For instance," Qui-Gon rolled the device over in his hands. "The trigger switch is missing." 

"What?" Xanatos got up to stand beside his master and look at the small destructive weapon. 

"The switch is gone. I'm guessing that it was done so it won't blow, just give a scare." Qui-Gon explained. "And by the look of the craftsmanship, it's Telosian, not Chetolian." 

Xanatos sighed heavily, grinding his teeth together in agitation. 

"Xanatos, what to explain to me why YOU did this?" Qui-Gon stared his padawan down. 

Xanatos looked sad, then shrugged knowing his master could see right through him. "My father didn't trust the delegates. He thinks my mother is better suited to handle the negotiations, which is why she remained on Chetol. They will be furious with the bomb threat, and NOT want to deal with my father again." 

"So you sabotaged the meeting for him? So he wouldn't have to deal with the negotiations?" Qui-Gon half asked, half clarified. 

"Yes." Xanatos confirmmed, a hint of defiance in his voice. "He asked for my help. He thought it best that our world seemed dangerous, making the Chetol people what to renegotiate with my mother on their home planet." 

"You could have come to me. There could have been another way to go about this." Qui-Gon sighed sadly. "You may have made a big mistake, causing emotions to flare up and do something that both sides would regret." 

A servant came rushing in, "Mr. DuCret, your father asked to see you immediately. There is talk that the people heard about the assignation attempt and are calling for war!" 

"I was afraid of this." Qui-Gon said, following his apprentice out of the room. 

Xanatos and Qui-Gon were led to the throne room. Crion was surrounded by guards and droids. "Son! Mr. Jinn! I'm glad you're safe. People are lining to enlist in an army to attack Chetol!" he seemed to be happy, in a way. "I'm planning on making a public announcement tomorrow afternoon informing our people of the impending war." 

"Governor DuCret, are you sure that's prudent?" Qui-Gon was shocked at the atmosphere. Everyone seemed to want war. 

"It's what my people want. They want retribution for the possible deaths that bomb could have caused." Crion's voice was even and getting dangerously high. 

"I know all about your plans. Xanatos told me that HE was the one that brought the bomb to the meeting, at your request. You sabotaged your own meeting." Qui-Gon rose his voice slightly. 

Crion glared at Xanatos, then spoke, "It makes little difference. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a declaration of war to prepare. I'll see you two at dinner tonight." 

Crion left, followed by his bodyguards and droids. Qui-Gon stared blankly after him, desperately wanting to set everything straight, and talk some sense into the power hunger leader. He began to plan his own speech, wondering and worrying over the consequences. 

"I'm going to my room." Xanatos said, and walked off. 

"I believe I'll get some rest." Qui-Gon said, following Xanatos. "I'll stop by at dinnertime." 

Xanatos nodded, suppressing a fake yawn. Without even bowing, Xanatos entered his room and slammed the door shut. 

Qui-Gon went to his room, called his servant to bring him a datapad and snack, and sat down to write. He weighed the consequences of his actions and decided INACTION was NOT the course. The Telosian people HAD to know how deceptive their leader was and know of his involvement to start the hostilities. 

At dinnertime, Qui-Gon met Xanatos outside his door and the two started towards the dining hall. When they got there, the long banquet table was decorated with expensive place settings, and large bouquets of flowers were the centerpieces on the polished surface. 

Qui-Gon and Xanatos took their seats, flanking the Governor. Servants brought large silver platters loaded with every kind of food, and pouted golden goblets of aged wine. 

Qui-Gon interrupted the alcohol being poured, "We don't drink." 

Xanatos scoffed, "Oh please. We aren't in a diplomatic situation. We can kick back and relax for awhile. Come on master, Live a little." Xanatos watched his goblet fill to the rim. 

"No thank. I think within the past 48 hours, I've lived enough." Qui-Gon exclaimed and began to eat. 

Xanatos laughed, downed the contents of the goblet in a few gulps, and signaled for more. A servant girl obliged and filled his cup up again. 

Qui-Gon ate his fill, not really paying attention to the conversation that Xanatos was having with his father. His attention was snapped back by Xanatos' lightsaber being ignited. 

Crion held his son's weapon directly in front of himself, admiring the craftsmanship and the simplicity of the design. "It's beautiful. Think I could have one with a golden blade and handle? 

Qui-Gon snapped, "NO! Only Jedi carry a lightsaber. We train all our lives to be able to control and manipulate such a weapon. It's a earned privilege, not one to be bought." 

Crion smiled, "I was wondering. No need to get upset Mr. Jinn." 

"Yeah Masta. It's my fadder for forshe sakes. He can do what he wants with MY sabler." Xanatos said, his consumption of alcohol was beginning to show. 

"Xanatos! You know a Jedi's weapon is not supposed to be away from them! Put it back on your belt and under NO circumstances, let someone else handle it." Qui-Gon was getting upset at Xanatos' carelessness and disregard. 

Xanatos jumped up out of his seat, then suddenly grabbed the table for support, due to the effects of the wine. "Don't twalk to me like I'm a baby! I am an adult, and almost a knights." 

"But you are a Jedi first and foremost! Now act like one!" Qui-Gon raised his voice. 

"Well den, I don't want to be a Jedi anysmore. You are a guest in MY family's home, don't disrespect them and me with your 'better than you Jedi' retotic!" 

Qui-Gon was on his feet as soon as Xanatos stepped over the line. His hand came flying, striking the inebriated padawan hard across the jaw. "I am your master and you WILL show respect!" 

The slap was hard enough to knock the extremely whoozey padawan to the floor. He tried desperately to clutch at the table to steady him, but his hand met empty air as he toppled to the floor. 

"ENOUGH!" Crion shouted, his annoyance showing. "He may be your padawan, but he is MY son, and when MY son is in MY house, YOU will show him respect!" 

Qui-Gon glared at Crion, then walked around to the other side of the table. Xanatos was groaning and mumbling incoherently as his master hoisted him up into his arms. Qui-Gon cradled his tipsy padawan against himself and carried Xanatos to his room. 

When they entered Xanatos's bedroom, Qui-Gon was surprised to see the servant girl standing beside the bed. Xanatos started making the tell tale signs of puking, and Qui-Gon rushed him to the refresher. Qui-Gon dismissed the girl for the evening, only asking for her to put a fresh change of clothes out for Xanatos. 

Xanatos puked all over himself, his master, the floor, walls, everything. After nearly an hour, Xanatos finally passed out in a drunken stupor. Qui-Gon changed clothes and cleaned him up as best he could and helped the younger man to bed. 

The servant girl prepared the bed, assisting the elder Jedi with the drunken youth. She seemed relieved when Qui-Gon dismissed her for the evening. 

Qui-Gon sighed and pulled a blanket and pillow off the bed, and made himself comfortable for the night. He hoped that Xanatos had sufficiently emptied his stomach and wouldn't have problems in the night. "I hope you learned your lesson padawan." \--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

Xanatos stirred, slowly raising his head to sit up on the bed. "I feel terrible. What happened?" 

Qui-Gon placed a small bowl of soup by his padawan's bed. "You got a little more than drunk. You made a spectacle of yourself and disrespected me. Mouthed off about not wanting to be a Jedi. You were really out of control." 

Xanatos took a deep breath, leaning against some pillows, 'It's true." 

Qui-Gon stared at his apprentice in disbelief. 

Xanatos explained, "I'm sorry master. I wanted to tell you sooner, but things happened and I forgot." Xanatos looked pleadingly at his master, his blue eyes full of sorrow. "I have told you several times that I'm not happy with the Jedi. There is so much I want, and being a Jedi isn't one of them. I want to be by my father's side, like I should have been all along." 

Qui-Gon stopped breathing. He couldn't believe his padawan would give up everything, especially being so close to taking his trials. "Xanatos, are you sure? You've worked hard all your life to be a Jedi. It's your dream." 

Xanatos shook his head sadly, "No, I only trained hard so you would be proud of me. Being a Jedi isn't my dream, it's yours." 

Qui-Gon's blue eyes searched his padawan. He felt heartbroken at Xanatos' change of heart. He just couldn't let Xanatos destroy everything he worked for. "Look, you're almost a knight, maybe then you could…" 

Xanatos interrupted, "No. I no longer wait to take my trials and become a knight. I've made my decision, I'm staying here to be with my father. Master… Qui-Gon, please understand." 

Qui-Gon sighed, "I will step back. I won't intervene with the relationship you have with your father, but know this. I will always be here for you, and want what's best for you and your future." 

"Thank you" Xanatos smiled. He looked shyly at Qui-Gon, "Does this mean you have to take my lightsaber?" 

"I'll tell you what." Qui-Gon started. "We will be here awhile because of the negotiations, why don't you keep it, and maybe when it's time to leave, you'll change your mind." 

Xanatos shook his head, "You just don't give up, do you?" 

Qui-Gon grinned, "Nope. I have a very stubborn padawan. So I have to be relentless." 

"Had" Xanatos corrected. "Had an apprentice." 

Qui-Gon's face looked remorseful and sad. He faked a smile and recited Yoda's favorite saying " 'Always in motion the future is.' I'll give you some space to allow you to make a decision. So don't go giving up your saber and braid just yet, you may want to come back." 

"That's all I ask. Now, can you help me? My head hurts and the room is spinning." Xanatos said, clutching his head. 

"It's a hangover. And after the way you acted last night, I should let you suffer with it." Qui-Gon half teased. 

Xanatos looked pleadingly at Qui-Gon, "Please?" 

Qui-Gon sighed and shook his head, "Oh alright. But just this once, then you're on your own." 

For 2 hours Qui-Gon focused on Xanatos, calming his headache and dizziness. When Xanatos had better force control, he focused on his stomach, trying desperately to quell the sickening feeling. 

After Xanatos had sufficiently recovered, he dressed and followed Qui-Gon out the door. Crion would be making his announcement soon, and both wanted to get there early, each for different reasons. 

Qui-Gon and Xanatos entered the throne room. Crion was standing, surrounded by guards and his advisors. The advisors were rambling on, trying to get the Governor to listen to reason, which he ignored. 

Crion looked up from a datapad and beamed, "Xanatos! Mr. Jinn! Just in time! The people will feel more at ease with two Jedi standing with me when I announce our war preparations." 

"One Jedi." Qui-Gon corrected, his face showing sadness. 

Crion looked over at Xanatos, surprised. Xanatos said softly, "I told him. He's allowing me some space to make up my mind. My final choice is when it's time to leave." 

Qui-Gon spoke up, "I won't hold Xanatos back. He's free to make his own decisions and I will respect them." 

Crion bowed his head, "Thank you Mr. Jinn." 

One of the advisors interrupted the sorrowful exchange, "Mr. DuCruet, it's time." 

Crion acknowledged and took several deep breaths, and looked directly into a small hovering recorder. A small light blinked, showing that it was in sending mode. 

Qui-Gon and Xanatos took up position behind the Governor. Soon Crion's face was on every holoscreen and projector, broadcasting his speech all over Telos. 

Crion cleared his throat and began, "Fellow Telosians. No doubt you have heard about the Chetol bringing an explosive device to a diplomatic meeting. I have listened to your requests, and I am officially declaring war on Chetol." 

Outside, loud cheers filtered up to the room. Millions had gathered and surrounded the manor, awaiting to hear their leaders answer to the assassination attempt. They roared in approval, happy at the prospect of war. 

Qui-Gon thought now was as good a time as any to inform the population of Crion's deception. Qui-Gon closed his eyes, knowing once he stepped forward, there would be no turning back. He took a deep breath and stepped forward, addressing the recording device. 

"People of Telos. I am Qui-Gon Jinn, Jedi Knight. I was sent to mediate the treaty renegotiations. Without going into details, the bomb was a false alarm. Governor DuCruet arranged for it to be brought by one of his own people, in hopes that you would be outraged. He has been planning to invade Chetol, and needed you to provide him with the extra troops he needed to carry out his plot." Qui-Gon despised his position, wishing it wasn't his responsibility to alert the people of Telos. "I suggest you return to you homes until Governor DuCruet settles this affair on his own." 

Crion stood shocked, completely taken by surprise at the Jedi masters actions. The advisors looked stunned, and stood perfectly still, unsure how to react. 

Xanatos snarled, "SHUT UP! You're ruining everything!" He jumped, igniting his lightsaber and slashing the recording device in half to prevent Qui-Gon from continuing. The remote fell to the ground, sparking and hissing. Xanatos glared at his ex-master. 

The people outside began to yell chants, and break down the gates that surrounded the manor house. The guards and droids were firing at them, trying to subdue the angry mob. 

Crion rushed to the window, "YOU FOOL! The people are rioting! I hope you're happy!" 

"The people had to know that you were the one responsible for the sabotage. I don't regret telling them the truth, I do however worry about what consequences these actions will produce." Qui-Gon stared the Governor down. 

"Now they will rise against me! Congratulations Jedi, you just cost people their lives! I hope you're proud of yourself!" Crion stormed out, followed by his advisors. 

Xanatos stared at Qui-Gon, his hatred clearly shone. "This is all on your head Qui-Gon!" And left the Jedi master to maul over his decision and emotions. 

Qui-Gon sighed, his conscious starting to debate the consequences all over again. Part of him wanted the people to calmly choose a new leader and forget about the war with Chetol. He doubted they would. A part of him wished he had remained silent, and yet, if he did remain quiet, how would the Telosian people know of their leaders deception? What about the lives that would be lost because of Crion's crusade? How could he live with himself knowing he had the power and opportunity to stop it? 

Qui-Gon went to his room and informed the council on the recent events. He was ordered to remain on Telos to try to get the people to listen to reason. Without blatantly saying it, they accused Qui-Gon of the situations. Yoda even went as far as to rebuke the Jedi master by indirectly pointing out how he thinks with his heart, instead of his head. 

Qui-Gon argued that he was only looking out for his padawan and the people of Telos. He was reminded that Xanatos no longer was his responsibility, and he was in on the deception with his father. Xanatos was just as guilty. Qui-Gon fumed, eventually disconnecting the transmission during another disobedience speech. 

Later, after a cool down time from the council's upsetting transmission, a more passive master made his way to Xanatos' room. He knocked and heard a muffled voice on the other side, and opened the door. 

Qui-Gon burst out laughing at the site that greeted him. Xanatos was laying on the bed, wearing a silk black ensemble, and a seductive grin. A bottle of wine was chilling on ice, and soft music lightly played in the background. 

When Qui-Gon entered, Xanatos jumped up, startled, and grabbed a robe to wrap around himself. "Master… I mean, Qui-Gon, what are you doing here?" 

Qui-Gon closed the door, and leaned against the wall, trying to steady himself. He gasped between deep laughs, "My goodness Xanatos. I didn't know you cared." 

Xanatos furrowed his brow, "This isn't for you. I was expecting someone else." 

Qui-Gon got his laughter under control, "Oh, thank the force! I was going to say, all this is unnecessary. I've seen you naked." Qui-Gon laughed again at seeing Xanatos' embarrassed face. 

Xanatos flushed a deep red, then put his hands on his hips. "What do you want? Make it quick! I have plans and they DON'T include you." 

Qui-Gon seen Xanatos become stern, and explained, "I came to tell you the council ordered us to stay here, and try to smooth out this situtation." 

Xanatos raised his eyebrows in surprise, "Us? I'm not a Jedi anymore, remember? I want nothing to do with you or the stupid council!" 

Qui-Gon stopped laughing, slightly taken aback. He just though Xanatos would realize that deep down he was a Jedi, but evidently, the Master was wrong. "I'm sorry to hear that. I really hoped that this was a phase, and you'd realize where you belong." 

"I AM where I belong! I wish you had never found me! You took me away from the only family I ever knew, away from all the power and wealth my father had. You deprived me from all the things that I was to inherit!" Xanatos was yelling, his midnight blue eyes flaring. "But I'm home now, and you can't take me away again!" 

Qui-Gon could only stare, his face falling. Extreme pain wenched his heart, and he wanted to curl up into a ball and die. He stuttered, "Xanatos, how can you say such things? I loved you like a son." 

Xanatos scoffed, "Some father you were! You have nothing! No wealth, no power, no status! You have nothing to offer a son! You wanted me to fill the void your pathetic existence has left!" 

Tears began to streak down Qui-Gon's cheeks. He whispered, "How can you say that? I offered you all I have. All my love, support, wisdom, hoping that you would pass your trials and be a knight." 

"Some legacy!" Xanatos spat. A soft knock came to his door, and he crossed the room to answer it. 

Xanatos stepped aside as his servant entered the room. She was wearing a long, white gown that hung around her body, and her blonde hair spilled down over her shoulders. She looked stunned to see Qui-Gon in the room, and bowed her head to him, then turned to face Xanatos. 

Xanatos glared over at Qui-Gon, "If you'll excuse us, Qui-Gon." 

A guard rushed quickly to the open door, panting, "Mr. DuCruet! Your father needs you immediately! It's about the war." 

Xanatos cursed as grabbed his clothes, putting them on hurriedly and rushed out the door. "Stay here!" He ordered as the door slammed shut and clicked, signifying they were locked inside. 

The servant girl nodded quietly, and flinched when the chamber door was slammed. She completely forgot about the Jedi Master standing behind her. 

"Looks like we're stuck here." Qui-Gon joked softly. 

The young lady jumped, and turned around to face the Jedi Master smiling pleasantly at her. She faked a smiled and bowed her head. Her hands trembled as she reached for the straps on her dress, and eased the fabric down, exposing her upper body. 

Qui-Gon flushed and quickly added, "You don't have to do that. Please. Put your clothes back on. Really, this isn't necessary." 

She stared blankly at him, the material falling completely off and pooling on the floor. 

Qui-Gon noted that she was shaking and her body sported marks and bruises. Her wrists, forearms, and breasts were discolored with bruises, and bite marks marred her neck and upper thighs. 

Qui-Gon stepped close to her, calling her clothes up onto her body with the force. "Not to worry young one. You are safe. Your body and wishes will be respected." 

Her watery eyes spoke her happiness and relief. She bowed her head and a muffled "Thank you" was heard. 

Qui-Gon smiled sympathetically at her. He knew what would happen if Xanatos came back, so he thought it best to hide her. He focused on the locking mechanism on the door, and used the force to open it. "If you like, you may wait in my room. It's the last door on the left." 

Quickly scanning the hall, she hurried to Qui-Gon's room and disappeared. 

Qui-Gon frowned. / Had Xanatos taken advantage of that little thing? Why would he want to? I taught him better than that./ The realization hit, and the heartache from Xanatos' words cut through his soul once again. 

Xanatos wasn't a Jedi anymore. He wanted to stay on Telos, with his father. Share the power and glory that came with the title of being the planets leader. Qui-Gon knew that Crion had to be stopped with his plans. 

Qui-Gon made for the throne room, his long strides covering the terrain quickly. When he entered, he saw several armed guards inside the room, with backup protecting the outside. Crion was leaning over a large, portable table. Several men flanked him as he gave directions. 

"Take the squad and defend this road, keep it safe just in case we have to get out of here in a hurry." Crion ordered. "Have the pilots to take off, and go ahead with the plans to attack Chetol. Now go." The guards saluted and scurried out of the room to carry out their orders. 

"Crion!" Qui-Gon's voice echoed in the large room. 

Crion glanced up, startled. "What do you want, Jedi?" 

Qui-Gon stormed in, standing in front of Crion, "You have a civil war on your hands, and you're STILL wanting to wage war on a neighboring planet? How many lives do you want to endanger, before you realize it's wrong?" 

Crion commanding voice rose, "It's because of you and your stupid Jedi ethics that I'm put in this position. The deaths from the civil war are on your head, since you were the one that enraged the people!" 

"I'm not the one that deceived these people!" Qui-Gon drew himself up to his full height, towering over Crion. "You're letting greed rule over your judgement. It's going to compromise your position. If you don't stop this now, its going to kill you and your son!" 

"MY son! My son is leading the army to wipe out the leaders of the civil war, and put this foolishness to rest!" Crion smirked, knowing that Qui-Gon thought of Xanatos as his own son. It stabbed at the masters heart to hear Crion say Xanatos was his. 

"But what about your wife? When you attack Chetol, she will be killed in retaliation." Qui-Gon was outraged at Crion's actions. 

Crion smiled evilly and snickered, "Well then, I guess they will just have to kill her. I could care less. One less burden." 

Qui-Gon felt like he was going to be sick. "You would allow them to kill your wife? What would Xanatos think about that? You think he will want to fight with you, knowing that You were the one responsible?" 

"Oh, he'll be busy avenging his mothers death." Crion said as a matter of factly. "He will fight beside me because he is my son. His knowledge and cunning mind will be invaluable to me. You Jedi trained him well." 

"He won't listen! He is a Jedi, NOT a pawn in your sick game!" Qui-Gon was nearly shouting. 

"He's my son! When he learns of his poor mother's death, he'll be outraged, and will do anything I ask him to." Crion snapped. 

"You're insane." Qui-Gon gasped. He scolded himself for not having seen it earlier. His eyes drifted down to Crion's waist, where the hilt of a gold lightsaber hung. Without taking his eyes off the weapon, he asked, "Where did you get that?" 

Crion sneered, placing his hand on his weapon, "Oh this? I've always wanted a gold saber, like you Jedi carry. Xanatos was kind enough to make it for me." 

"Only Jedi can carry such a weapon. Xanatos was wrong to make you one. Hand it over." Qui-Gon reiterated. 

"Just try and take it!" Crion shouted, his hand drifting down to where his lightsaber was hanging. 

With a quick flick of his wrist, Crion held his lightsaber in front of himself, and the golden blade sizzled in the air. "If you leave now, I'll allow you safe passage to a ship. You have nothing in this, Jedi!" He spat the name like a curse. 

Qui-Gon's saber was already at the defensive, "When it concerns my padawan, I have every right to be involved. Stop this insane war and peacefully step down as Governor." 

The commlink on the table sounded, startling the two combatants. "Governor DuCruet? Sir? The Chetol anticipated our attack. They have killed your wife in retribution. Your son is coming to escort you to safety." 

"You may go, but MY son stays with me. We will win this war, and crush the Telosian rebels!" Crion fumed, beginning to fidget with the sabers handle. 

Crion grinned at Qui-Gon, showing the Jedi master the evil he had concealed from everyone, "You see Mr. Jinn? It's all working in my favor. Xanatos will gladly help his father avenge his mother's death, and his Jedi training will help me wipe out my enemies!" 

"You can't have him!" Qui-Gon snarled. "Don't be foolish! You know I've had more training. Just give me the saber. Don't do something drastic that we both will regret." 

"Something like this?" Crion asked nonchalantly, then lunged at the Jedi Master. The gold blade slashed through the air, not making any contact. 

Qui-Gon had sensed Crion's intentions, and sidestepped the blow. It hissed dangerously through the air as Crion retracted to a defensive posture. 

Crion handled his weapon skillfully, and taunted Qui-Gon, "I won't be an easy victim, Mr. Jinn. I have had extensive training with swords." 

"Crion! This is futile! Just hand over the lightsaber and I won't kill you." Qui-Gon shouted, ducking a swing to the head. 

Crion swung at Qui-Gon's head, then spun, dropping low to clip the Jedi's legs. Neither blow made contact as Qui-Gon ducked and backflipped out of the way. 

Qui-Gon's saber rose up, blocking an attack to his left side, then somersaulted high over Crion's head, landing a safe distance away. "Crion, this is stupid. I will not attack my padawan's father!" 

Crion was getting tired of Qui-Gon evasive maneuvers and grinned, "But I have no problems killing my son's teacher!" 

In that moment, Qui-Gon knew that Crion's evil would destroy everything around him. It Qui-Gon didn't stop him, Crion would even destroy his son. "If Xanatos knew the monster you have become, he wouldn't have anything to do with you, or your war. He would help me to stop you!" 

"Blood is thicker than any Jedi bond." Crion snarled, then faked a swing and thrust his saber at Qui-Gon's stomach. 

Qui-Gon spun to avoid being impaled, but Crion followed through with a slash, the blade cut through Qui-Gon's clothes and singed his side. 

Qui_Gon flinched and brought his saber around, slicing downwards and lightly touching Crion's arm. 

Crion's shirt burned and the skin welted up from the sting. He hissed and clutched his wrist in pain. With his head down, he panted, then, like a wild animal, he snarled and lunged at Qui-Gon. 

Qui-Gon parried Crion's attack, knowing that the only way this confrontation would end, when one of them dies. 

Jumping up to avoid the deadly blade, Qui-Gon landed, crouched down and slashed upwards, searing Crion across the chest. 

Crion cried out, staggering back. A shadow was growing closer towards them, the shadow was of Xanatos' hurrying form. 

Noticing the shadow, Crion seen Qui-Gon advance towards him, saber ready to deliver the killing blow. Crion could feel his life draining away with the blood that stained his midsection. He threw his saber to the corner and put his hands up in front of himself, showing surrender. He screamed out, "Please! I am unarmed!" 

Qui-Gon's blade was already soaring through the air, slicing diagonally, cutting deep into Crion's body. Qui-Gon's saber left a trail of carnage behind it. Severing fingers on Crion's left hand, opening up his ribcage, exposing the ribs, and severing the right arm at the elbow. 

Crion's body fell to the ground, blood gushing out of several wounds. He sputtered, gasped, and finally his lifeless body relaxed on the cold floor. 

Xanatos entered just in time to see his master strike down his father. Xanatos screamed, "No! Father!" 

Xanatos rushed to his father's side, tears streaming down his face. He knelt beside his father's now cooling body, whispering, "Please. Don't die. Please father. I love you." Xanatos cradled Crion's head in his lap, fighting back the sobs that so desperately wanted to escape. 

"I'm sorry Xanatos, but he left me no choice." Qui-Gon softly apologized, deactivating his saber. 

"YOU!…" Xanatos glared up at Qui-Gon, his eyes now clouded with hatred. "He was unarmed! How could you?" 

"He wanted you to stay with him and use your Jedi training to wage war on Chetol, and to kill the Telosian rebels. I couldn't let that happen. He had to be stopped." Qui-Gon bowed his head sadly. 

Xanatos looked down, fighting back the tears and pain. He spotted his fathers severed fingers, and the ring that still glowed red from Qui-Gon's saber. Xanatos removed the ring, the underside fairly cool from the attack. He pressed the C against his right cheek, directly under his eye. 

Xanatos didn't even flinch as the broken circle marred his once smooth cheek. A single tear escaped the corner of his eyes, dropped and sizzled away on the scorching surface. 

Qui-Gon could only stare in disbelief at his padawan's actions. He cringed, hearing the flesh under the ring sizzle away. Looking directly into his master's eyes, Xanatos said, "This is a symbol of what You have taken away from me. First my home, title, inheritance, and now my father. You will pay for what you have done." 

Qui-Gon felt pain and hatred decend upon him, shrouding him in darkness. His mind screamed of revenge and malice. Qui-Gon inhaled sharply, wincing at the dark emotions he was sharing with Xanatos through their still existent bond. 

Qui-Gon cut the training bond, allowing his senses to regain their composure. He stuttered out, "Xanatos, please. It was necessary. Your father was dangerous and had to be stopped." 

Xanatos got a firm grip on his lightsaber and jumped igniting the blade. "Don't think I don't know the real reason you did this!" 

"Xanatos! What are you talking about?" Qui-Gon asked, shocked that his apprentice could draw his weapon on him. 

"I knew you were jealous of the relationship I had with my father. You hated seeing him wealthy and powerful, knowing that I would inherit his position! You tried to hold me back!" Xanatos lunged at Qui-Gon slashing wildly. 

Qui-Gon parried Xanatos' thrusts, spinning to avoid contact. Qui-Gon was reluctant to retaliate, but then remembered the disturbing emotions that filtered through the training bond. Opening himself up to the force, Qui-Gon sensed, for the first time, the evil that embodied his padawan. 

"What's the matter, Master?" Xanatos sneered out the last part. "Finally opened your eyes and seen what I've become? What You created?" 

Qui-Gon got over the shock, suddenly the force pulsed around him, warning him that he had to forget the past. His once ally, was now his enemy, and had to be stopped. 

Qui-Gon leaped over Xanatos' head, swinging his lightsaber in his wake. He heard Xanatos curse as the blade made contact on his shoulder and slice into the skin and bone. 

Xanatos anticipated Qui-Gon's move and tried to spin to evade the weapon, but Qui-Gon extended his reach and made contact. Qui-Gon's foot came up, meeting Xanatos' jaw, and knocking the younger man back. 

Qui-Gon huffed, "Stop this now Xanatos! Your father isn't worth turning to the dark side for!" 

Xanatos grinned, pivoted and swiped low, aiming to make contact with Qui-Gon's legs. Qui-Gon jumped, but Xanatos followed through, spinning completely around, intending to decapitate his former master. Qui-Gon didn't duck in time, and Xanatos' saber burned a line on his head, the heat of the blade cauterized the wound. The smell of burnt hair filled the air. 

Qui-Gon retaliated, swinging left to right, and backing Xanatos into a corner. "Please Xanatos, come back home. Forget about your father, he isn't worth this heartache." 

Xanatos snapped, "I Am home! But my father was all I had left, and you took him away! We would have taken our revenge on Chetol for killing my mother!" 

Xanatos swiped Qui-Gon's legs out from under him, but the Jedi master rebounded, and flipped several times, coming to rest on the opposite side of the room. He was able to take a couple of deep breaths, before Xanatos advanced towards him, saber rose high above his head. 

"Your father told me he sent her there hoping they would kill her!" Qui-Gon shouted back, his green saber clashed with Xanatos' red one. The air was becoming electrified and sweat poured off the two locked in battle. 

"LIAR!" Xanatos screamed, thrusting the saber at Qui-Gon's midsection. The saber made contact on Qui-Gon's left side, the ribs deflecting the blade away, and a huge wound gushed bright crimson. 

Qui-Gon gasped and clutched his side, trying to reduce the bleeding. He backed up, trying to compose himself to muster up enough energy for an attack. 

"I swear to you Xanatos." Qui-Gon panted, calling on the force to aid him. "He explained he sent your mother to Chetol in hopes they would kill her, to make you want to stay and fight with him." 

Xanatos' deep blue eyes regarded his former master, then malevolence shown. "You'll say anything to keep me from killing you! You'll cover up the truth with your jealous lies, hoping I'll come back to you. Well, I won't! You'll just have to kill me!" 

Qui-Gon thrust his saber at Xanatos' head, then swung low, hoping to make contact with Xanatos' leg. Xanatos ducked, then swerved, bringing his knee up and impacting the Jedi master in the ribs on the uninjured side. Qui-Gon lost his breath, but used the momentum to put all his weight into a hit, and followed through with a low chop. Xanatos' cried out as his wrist snapped, his saber flying across the room. 

Xanatos back flipped over Qui-Gon's head. He didn't have to regain his footing before Qui-Gon's saber made contact with his hip, cutting deep into the muscles. Xanatos stumbled backwards, tripping over his father's body and toppled to the floor on his back. His head hit the floor, temporally dazing him. His hand fell on his fathers side, and rested on a dagger hidden among the fabric. 

Qui-Gon only meant to cripple Xanatos, hoping to take him back to the Temple, for rehabilitation if possible. He heard a dull thud and Xanatos moan, his body becoming limp. A deep gash poured bright crimson freely, the blood beginning to form a puddle under the fallen padawans hip. 

Qui-Gon stood over Xanatos, his saber drawn for the killing blow, but a part of him screamed at the thought of killing someone who was like a son. He remembered all the good times, the laughs, the heartaches, the long talks, all the pride he felt when Xanatos accomplished a goal. Qui-Gon lowered his saber and deactivated it. A tear slid silently down his cheek. His heart ached at the thought of ending it this way. 

Xanatos' head started to clear and through cloudy eyes, he saw Qui-Gon put his weapon away. Qui-Gon was seemingly fighting with the guilt of killing his apprentice. Xanatos knew how to play on that, and began to groan. He rolled over on his side, towards his father's body. His hand quietly pulled the dagger from its hiding place. He groggily called out, 'Master? Master where are you?" 

Qui-Gon knelt down at Xanatos' side, placing a hand on the young mans shoulder. "I'm here padawan." The force swirled, warning him of danger. 

Xanatos shot up, swiping the dagger at Qui-Gon's throat. The force warned Qui-Gon ahead of time, and he was already moving out of the way. But he wasn't fast enough, and the dagger slashed a deep cut along his lower jawbone. 

Xanatos sneered, "You weak fool!" and rolled over gingerly to his knees. 

Qui-Gon fell back, grasping his jaw trying to stop the bleeding. Xanatos buried the dagger into Qui-Gon's knee, ensuring the master would be immobilized while he made his escape. Xanatos painfully pulled himself to his feet and started towards the door. He called his saber to his hand and laughed over his shoulder as he left. "You should have killed me when you had the chance! You will regret this! Until we meet again, Master." 

Qui-Gon gritted his teeth, pulling the dagger out of his knee. Pain shot through him as the dagger severed tendons and ligaments. The blade scrapped across bone, earning a deep growl from his throat. 

Heat began to build within him, and his hands started to shake uncontrollably. He called on the force and unsteadily rose to his feet and made for the door, knowing there will be no hesitating this time. He WOULD kill Xanatos. He called Crion's dispensed lightsaber from the corner, to his hand, and attached it to his belt. 

Focusing the force with all his might to ease the pain, Qui-Gon hobbled down the hall, following the trail of blood that Xanatos left behind. An occasional bloody handprint was on the walls, signally Xanatos resting his battered body. 

Qui-Gon followed the trail to the hanger bay. The blood suddenly stopped, as if Xanatos has disappeared into thin air, and Xanatos' padawan braid laid in the floor, from where he hastily sheared it off. Qui-Gon knew it was a statement, and seen the marks left behind from a transport that had been waiting. He sighed in defeat and remembered Xanatos' words from earlier, "I always have a backdoor." 

The room began to spin and the Jedi master collapsed to the floor. A pain in his chest, not physical, but emotional, kept him from drifting down into unconsciousness. It felt like his heart was torn from his body, but somehow, by the force, he remained alive. Suffering with the emptiness that shrouded him, a hallow echo of the man he once was. 

Qui-Gon became aware, a few hours later, of being surrounded. His head felt like it was filled with cotton, his hearing warping in and out. Some words he understood and heard clearly, others seemed to fade and be faint. His head lulled on the docking bay floor, the coolness unnoticeable compared to the coldness in his heart. 

One of the Telosian fighters ordered for a healer, which came immediately to the fallen Jedi's side. The healer informed the gathered crowd that the Jedi had been poisoned, and the fighters began to help the healer stop the bleeding and counteract the poison. 

Soon, Qui-Gon felt his mind clear, but pain alerted him to his condition. When he was able, he sat up, looking into the faces that saved his life. "Thank you for your help" Though silently he wished they would have let him go. 

"You are welcome." A younger man said. "I'm sorry, but our medicine isn't very advanced. I stopped most of the bleeding, but that dagger was poisoned, and you still have the majority of its toxins in your system. I've only slowed it down some, and bought you some time." 

Qui-Gon was helped to his feet and a stout young man help support him on his bad side. "I need to return to Coruscant. The Jedi healers can take care of the poison, and heal my physical wounds." 

"I can take him." A tall woman kindly spoke. "It will take a little over a day to reach it, even with our fastest transport. But the sooner he gets there, the sooner he'll be cured." 

"But he can't survive the trip." The healer said. "The counter agent I gave him will only retard the chemicals for so long. They will wear off before you get there. He needs medical attention as soon as possible." 

Qui-Gon interrupted the exchange, "I can use the force to stabilize myself until I reach Coruscant. Please. I must leave immediately." 

The woman added, "He's right. He's stabilized as much as we can get him, and we can't cure that type of poison. He needs the Jedi Healers." 

The young leader nodded and two of the rebels helped Qui-Gon board a transport. Soon the small vessel was leaving Telosian airspace and headed for Coruscant. 

Qui-Gon was settled into a bed and constantly watched over by the Telosian rebels that accompanied him. He put himself into a deep meditative trance, slowing down the poison in his system. Truth be known, he wished it would speed its way along and allow him to pass into the force. 

When Qui-Gon awoke, he found himself surrounded by Temple healers. The pain in his body was relieved, but there was still the emotional void in his soul. One of the healers smiled and said reassurances, "The Telosian rebels filled us in on what they knew… if it wasn't for them, you'd be dead…" but Qui-Gon looked blankly ahead, staring sadly into nothingness. The support healers left, leaving the senior healer to deal with the patient. 

"Not to worry. The poison is neutralized and we were able to heal your injuries. There is a problem however…" The healer didn't know if Qui-Gon was even listening, but continued. "The poison has a side effect. It discolored the skin and made healing difficult. You will always have the yellowish-gold color around your knee and jawbone, and a small scar, where the skin was trying to heal itself before you got here." 

Qui-Gon nodded his understanding and rolled over, putting his back to the healer. The healer sighed sympathetically and left Qui-Gon alone with his demons. 

Master Yoda meet the healer at Qui-Gon's door, "Fine will he be?" 

The healer shook her head, "The physical wounds are healed, except for the poisons effect on coloring his skin. But I don't know if he will emotionally heal. Right now, he needs to sort through everything that's happened and get some rest." 

"Turned to the dark side, Xanatos did. Attacked his master and shunned the Jedi, he did." Yoda sighed softly. 

The healer glanced over to the form in the bed, "That means he shared Xanatos' mind when he turned. I can't imagine the mental anguish he's going through right now." 

"Recover he will. Strong and stubborn, he is. Very stubborn, yes." Yoda looked into his former padawan's room. 

"It will be about two weeks before I release him from my care. He needs to rest and rehab his broken body. And spirit." The healer said. 

"Return tomorrow I will. Needs to know someone is here to help, he does. Take care of my padawan once again, I will." Yoda informed the healer, then started down the hall. His gimer stick making the familiar tap on the floor. 

The healer watched as Qui-Gon's shoulders began to shake, and soft sobs filled the air. Tears ran down her face, sharing the heartache with the vulnerable master. She closed the door to give him some privacy, and left the weeping master to his grief. 

Over the next two weeks, Qui-Gon made steady progress and his strength was returning. Yoda visited everyday, keeping Qui-Gon company with stories and updates about everything that went on in the temple. 

Qui-Gon never spoke, and rarely ate. Most time was spent sleeping or looking out the window as Yoda droned on and on during his many visitations. A soft beard grew out and covered the masters face, hiding the scar and discoloration along his jawbone. 

The healers tried several times to get him to speak, but the master only nodded his answers and looked away bewildered. They reluctantly released Qui-Gon from the medward, arguing with Yoda that Qui-Gon needed to talk to a soul healer. But Yoda insisted that Qui-Gon would be fine, and ordered everyone to leave him alone, allowing Qui-Gon the chance to decide when it was time to talk about what happened. 

Qui-Gon bowed his head to the healers to thank them for their help and kindness. He even managed a weak smile and started down the hall to leave. 

Turning the corner, he accidentally bumped into two young initiates, knocking one to the floor. The one on the floor was a small humanoid male, and the other was a small Calamarian female, that was helping the boy up. Both looked to be about 3 or 4 standard years old. 

Qui-Gon nodded, wanting to get away as quickly as possible, but a sniffle drew his attention back to the children. Upon closer inspection, revealed the little boy holding his arm protectively. Deep bruising marred the forearm, and a welt was centered amongst the bruise. Bright blue eyes stared back at the master, one eye partially swollen shut. It was obvious the kid had been beat up. 

Qui-Gon felt sadness and fear coming from the little boy. He smiled and kneeled down to be eye level with the youth. "I really am sorry little one. I didn't mean to hurt you." 

The little initiate sniffled again, tears streaming down his face. The Calamarian girl put her arms around him to console him and addressed Qui-Gon, "Everyone teases him for being so small. He gets hurt. But no one ever said they were sorry before." 

Qui-Gon smiled and caressed the boys tears stained cheek, "Don't worry. One day, you'll be as big as me, and no one will be able hurt you again." 

Qui-Gon rose to leave, but the little boy reached out, and touched the master's face. He said in a low voice, "Just because you're big, doesn't mean you can't be hurt. You hurt too, don't you?" 

Blue eyes looked deep into blue eyes as a silent exchange went on. 

Qui-Gon slightly nodded and whispered, "Yes." 

The little boy frowned, then wrapped his arms around the masters neck, being careful of his injured arm. Qui-Gon was shocked, but nonetheless, allowed the youngster to embrace him. The little boy released Qui-Gon and started back down the hall with his companion. 

Qui-Gon rose, a sense of peace overcame him. A part of him felt better, and he left the medical wing with a new sense of purpose. His troubled mind seemed renewed and a feeling of hope arose in him. 

When they were far enough away, the girl looked at her young friend, surprised. "I wonder who that was?" 

The little boy smiled, though it hurt his bruised face. "That was my master." 

A healer seen the two enter and the condition of the small boy. She exclaimed, "Kenobi! Now what happened to you?"


End file.
